Ludek Fiurasek used leaked personal details including email addresses and passwords to access online shopping accounts and betting sites
A cyber criminal from the Black Country used leaked personal data to make a string of online purchases and bets netting him thousands.
Ludek Fiurasek from Wolverhampton used personal details including email addresses and passwords from people across the UK.
He would then use the details at online shops and gambling accounts to check if the details matched.
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Between 2018 and 2022 Fiurasek had used the illegally obtained personal information on websites and accounts more than 800 times.
He then made use of the accounts for his own benefit, buying goods worth thousands of pounds, including making payments for car parts, a games console and casino websites.
Fiurasek’s devices were seized by officers who found he had in his possession more than 30 lists of combinations of email addresses and passwords.
The deception was discovered by officers from the West Midlands Regional Cyber Crime Unit.
Fiurasek was convicted of six counts of fraud by false representation, one of possessing an article for use in fraud, and one of unauthorised computer access with intent to commit other offences at Birmingham Crown Court in December.
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At the same court Fiurasek, of Dunstall Road, Wolverhampton, was sentenced to three years and four months in prison, last Monday (October 6).
Anyone who wants to check if anyone of their accounts have featured in known leaks can visit Have I been Pwned.
Those concerned can also access online safety tips from the National Cyber Security Centre or from West Midlands Police’s cyber crime advice section.
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A spokesperson for West Midlands Police said: “We don’t underestimate the impact of fraud and cybercrime on innocent people who use the internet as part of their daily lives, and we would urge you to make sure you’re as protected as possible against criminals.
“It’s important to have different passwords for each account online, using a password manager so that you only have to remember one complex password.
“We’d also advise you to close any accounts that are no longer in use.”
